Events

Western Michigan University is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a research university with high research activity; a prestige shared with only 4 other universities in the state of Michigan and a total of 99 in the entire nation. This is mostly thanks to our hard work as graduate students. Therefore, the Graduate Student Association is here to support us all.

On Friday, Dec. 7 from 11 to 5 in room 157, Bernhard Center, graduate students will get the chance to get a free massage by the certified massage therapists of "Inspiring Hands Massage & Spa". No appointment is required, you just have to show up during that time and we will take care of the rest. Light refreshments will be available. Also, we will raffle three full-body massages among those who participate. If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Events Paola Hiciano at gsa-events@wmich.edu

We are excited to announce the Fall 2018 WMU Graduate Student Weekend of Service, serving the homeless in the City of Kalamazoo. As a proud Bronco community, we are seeking volunteers to show care and community service by serving the needs of the homeless at Ministry with Community during the week of Saturday, November 10, 2018, through Saturday, November 17, 2018. The Ministry with Community organization has a limit on the number of volunteers who may serve daily. If you are seeking an opportunity to serve the homeless individually or with a couple of your friends, please click on this link: sign up sheet.

On Friday, Sept. 28, Professional dancers from the Kalamazoo Ballroom Academy performed for Western Michigan University graduate students and gave us an intensive salsa lesson. In addition, a former WMU graduate student and oenophile, Ariel Castillo gave us a crash course on wine and food pairing. The wine course started at 6:30, followed by the salsa lesson at 7:30. We had an awesome night with great music, wine taste, and delicious food. Special thanks to all the graduate students that made this night successful.

We have reserved a whole theater to watch "Avengers: Infinity War" during its opening week on Friday, April 27. We will raffle tickets for this event during our general assembly meeting this Friday, April 20. If more tickets are available after the meeting, we will raffle them online through our Facebook page. We will open the door to the theater at 5:30 and seating will be allocated first come first served until the movie begins at 6. We do not have transportation available for this event. However, you can get there for free by bus. Please check the bus route 1 - Westnedge. We will have other surprises, prizes, and fun activities before the movie starts playing, so we encourage you to get there on time. For more info, please email us at gsa@wmich.edu

On Friday, April 6, more than 300 hundred graduate students gathered in the Arcadia Ballroom, Radisson Plaza Hotel, to celebrate the outstanding work that our peers are doing in and out of the classroom at Western Michigan University. This year, our keynote speaker was Western's new Vice President for Research Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy. The Association took the opportunity to highlight the diversity that characterizes the Western's graduate student body. We had a fun night full of recognition, musical and dance performances, delicious food, and great music that kept us dancing till late at night. We cannot wait to see what the next year will bring! For pictures of the event, please follow these links: red carpet,awards,dance floor,and miscellaneous.

GSA is raising the bar a little higher!

Join us for a night of fun and shenanigans! We will be starting the night at Shakespeare’s Pub and GSA will be *sponsoring $10/person for food purchases between 6-9 pm. Following this, we will move to Kalamazoo Beer Exchange and enjoy complimentary pub chips. From there, we will wrap up the night at Bell’s Brewery.

*1st 50 Graduate Students.

Check our Facebook page to keep updated on the group’s whereabouts. In order to take advantage of all of these perks, you will need to present a WMU student ID and the group’s codeword (to be given out upon arrival at each venue).

The Graduate Student Association wants to thank all the graduate students that volunteered during our Spring 2018 Weekend of Service from Friday, February 16 to Saturday 17. Thanks to all your contributions, we were able to collaborate with Ministry with Community, serving lunch to homeless persons and to play bingo with them. More opportunities like these ones will be forthcoming, just keep yourself updated by visiting this page, attending the association general meetings, and checking our regular email communications.

Broadway's most popular musical "The Lion King" is coming to Miller Auditorium and the Graduate Student Association has tickets for Western students. This musical is the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage productions and films. We have tickets for the show on Sat. April 14 at 8 p.m. These tickets are being distributed randomly throughout the different activities and meetings of the Association in the Spring semester. Graduate students can randomly win up to two tickets. After having won two tickets, if a student happens to win another or other ones, they have to give that ticket to another graduate student of their choosing. Please, read our emails as we will communicate to you the different opportunities you will have to win some of these tickets. If you have questions, please refer them to the Association President Amaury Pineda at gsa@wmich.edu

On Dec 8 before finals week, the Graduate Student Association wants you to be able to perform at your best by losing that built up stress. Just come by the room 105 at the Bernhard Center from 11 AM to 3 PM with your student ID. As a graduate Bronco, you’ll be able to get a free massage, It's on us! Don’t miss this opportunity to relax :)

On Sunday, Dec. 3, from 5 to 9 pm in Revel & Roll West, we had a fun time bowling, playing arcade games and laser tag. This was the last social event in fall 2017, but there will be many more to come in the spring semester.

On Friday, Dec. 1, at 3 in Heritage Hall, our new WMU President, Dr. Edward Montgomery came to our monthly meeting and spent an hour with us in a "Q&A with GSA." During this activity, graduate students posed their questions, concerns, and aspirations to President Montgomery, who addressed each one of them with encouraging and motivational words. Dr. Montgomery provided the Association with good ideas to better serve our fellow graduate students. We hope to have opportunities like this in the future.

We wanted to thank all the graduate students that volunteered during our weekend of service from Friday, Nov. 17 to Sunday the 19. With your help, we were able to collaborate with the Ministry with Community, serving lunch to homeless persons, to play bingo with them, and also to help to make Christmas decorations at the Rickman House. More opportunities like these ones will come in the future, just keep yourself updated by visiting this page and checking our regular emails.

The Graduate Student Association distributed tickets so that on November 18 at 8 p.m. a large number graduate students had the opportunity to watch Trevor Noah perform on stage for a sold-out, stand-up comedy show at Miller Auditorium. These types of events are part of the Association's effort to get Western's graduate students involved with cultural events on campus. Stay connected with the Graduate Student Association to take advantage of this and other great opportunities in the future.

On Sat. July 22 we had a fun picnic day for almost 150 graduate students and their family members in the WMU Recreation Center tennis courts. We had three main activities throughout the day. Professional instructors from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts taught us how to paint on canvas; we learned how to create clay artwork; and a basic introductory class to Tai Chi. We played a variety of Minute to Win it games and had lots of winners who received prizes. We enjoyed practicing all of these activities besides having delicious ice cream, and eating lunch while socializing with other graduate students and their families. In addition, we had a professional painter to draw beautiful artworks on kids' faces. Hope to see more of you at our next event!

On Sat. March 25, many graduate students gathered at the Miller Auditorium to enjoy a magical night watching Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. In addition, on April 6 at 8 p.m. many graduate students had the opportunity to watch Nick Offerman on stage for a sold-out stand-up comedy show at the Miller Auditorium. These events are part of the Association's effort to get Western's graduate students involved with cultural events on campus. Rumors say that next year, "The Lion King" could be next! Stay connected with the Graduate Student Association so you can take advantage of these opportunities.

Graduate students! Thanks for having joined us for a fun introductory class of guts and butts on Feb. 11. We sure had a good time sweating and learning techniques to stay in shape. For those of you who did not have the chance to be there, there will be more opportunities such as this one in the future.

We have tickets for RENT! The popular rock musical by Jonathan Larson will be playing at the Miller Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 11 and Sat. 12 at 8 p.m. This musical won a Tony Award for Best Musical among other awards, and we would like you to join us on one of those two days. Seats are limited and available first come first served. Each graduate student is allowed to bring one companion and you can only reserve for one of the nights. Please, email our Director of Events Christina Collins at christina.g.collins@wmich.edu and know that your spot is not guaranteed until you have received a confirmation email from Christina. See you there!

Thanks to all the graduate students who Joined us for a great intro/beginner Yoga class on Sat., Oct. 15 in the Western Michigan University Recreation Center. We had a lot of fun while learning the basics of Yoga with our great instructor Taylor. Do not forget to stay updated with us to get the latest info about upcoming events!

On Sat. July 23 graduate students and guests spent a fun day at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL.

On Friday, April 15 the Graduate Student Association hosted the Graduate Student Make a Difference Award ceremony at the Radisson Hotel Downtown Kalamazoo. Western graduate students, family, and friends made a crowd of approximately 500 people who gather to celebrate the achievements of their peers. Food was great and the live band kept us dancing until the very end. Thanks to all the graduate students who support this and all of our events throughout the year; you guys rock! Here is a link to pictures of the event: pictures

Thanks to the joined effort of the Teachers Assistant Union, Sindecuse and the Graduate Student Association now we have available a new mental health resource exclusive for graduate students. This is a safe, confidential space for graduate students to meet, away from both our instructors and our students, to discuss our own unique issues in a supportive environment.

The first meeting is Friday, Feb. 5 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in counseling services at Sindecuse. This is a drop-in group open to any graduate students at no cost and facilitated by a trained counselor. Students can contact counseling services at 269-387-1850 for more information.

Many studies have shown that graduate students (especially international students) are a high-risk population for serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Even more alarming, most do not get the help they need. And considering there are around 5,000 graduate students here at Western, we believe this to be a priority.

Come join us as we pack Read Fieldhouse on Saturday, February 20 as the Broncos men's basketball team takes on our rivals from Central Michigan University. Tickets are limited and will be issued in the order or requests received, and are free to WMU graduate students. Students are allowed up to 2 tickets each and should contact Mike Bobbitt at michael.d.bobbitt@wmich.edu to reserve their tickets.

Dear WMU graduate students, we are glad to let you know that the talented dancers of Ailey II will take the Miller Auditorium stage on Thursday, March 10, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. and we got you some tickets to see them. The Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Tickets will be available until depleted at our January and February meetings. In addition, arrangements to reserve a spot can be made by contacting Mike Bobbitt at michael.d.bobbitt@wmich.edu Only two tickets per student are allowed. And please be aware that the reservation is not confirmed until you have contacted by Mike confirming the seat(s). See you there!

Graduate students - open auditions for "Divorce (Professional)"

A community theater performance piece (entitled "Divorce (Professional) is seeking WMU students interested in playing roles as philosophy students. Students will have the opportunity to work alongside WMU Emeriti, faculty and administrators who have been cast are featured roles. The play is co-sponsored by the WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, WMU Graduate College, WMU Office of the VP for Research and WMU Political Science Department. It is directed by a WMU Graduate Alumna (Laura Henderson, MA, Communications and Founder/Executive Producer, Queer Theatre Kalamazoo), and WMU emeriti, faculty, and administrators are cast in the featured roles. A description of the play is below.

We are seeking up to 5 students to play roles as "Students" and "Co-Eds" in the play. No acting experience is required, but a strong desire to act or an interest in the play's themes will be greatly appreciated!

Open auditions will be held on Thursday, January 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. If interested in auditioning, please contact, William Craft, william.r.craft@wmich.edu to schedule a time. All students must be available for rehearsals Tuesday evenings from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the performance dates (February 24 and February 25) and for the tech rehearsal, which will take place on Monday, Feb. 22.

The description follows below:

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Divorce (Professional)

A One Act Play

Written by Kathy Purnell

Directed by Laura Henderson,

WMU alumna & Founder/Executive Producer of Queer Theater Kalamazoo

Featuring

Dr. Thomas Bailey as EMERITUS

Dr. Evelyn Winfield-Thomas as JUNIOR PROFESSOR

Dr. Mark Hurwitz as DEPARTMENT CHAIR

Performance Dates/Times:

Wednesday, February 24, 4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, February 25, 6 to 8 p.m.

Description of the Play:

Divorce (professional) explores the decision of a political philosopher to do the "unthinkable" (quit her tenure-track position) and the factors that shape the decision. Drawing upon insights from a wide range of philosophers and political theorists including Kant (on sexual ethics), bell hooks (on scholars), Nietzsche (on "dying"), Martin Luther King (on Nietzsche), Rousseau (on social inequality) and Plato (on the nature of truth and the role of philosophers), the play explores several contemporary issues impacting universities including mentorship of junior faculty, defining oneself as a scholar, consensual sexual relationship policies, sexual and racial harassment in academic contexts, and the importance of leadership (at all levels: student, staff/administrative, faculty) to build inclusive learning & professional environments.

Description of the event:

The play will be performed as a concert read with WMU faculty and administrators reading the featured roles. The featured cast will engage faculty, staff and students post-performance on key issues raised by the play on what the responsibilities of administrators, faculty, and students to promote inclusive and equitable environments for learning and scholarship.

Thank you for Joining us at Monaco Bay on Friday, Dec. 11 as we celebrated the end of another successful semester. We are glad to have had a full house, the food was delicious and the live dueling pianos were just terrific. Undoubtedly, we had a good time!

We have tickets for the Homecoming football game and the Miller show Cirque mechanics, Pedal Punk. Please see below for details.

Although the weather was not the greatest, Western Michigan's football team prevailed during their homecoming game against Miami Ohio University. The Broncos won a crucial conference game by a final score of 35-13. We would like to extend our special gratitude to all graduate students who supported this event. Let's go Broncos.

Many graduate students along with the Association's leadership team attended the Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk event at Miller Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 1. This performance left all of us sitting on the edge of out seat trying to catch our breath as we watched acrobats, mechanical wonders, and a bit of clowning around. We would like to extend our special gratitude to all graduate students who supported this event, and please stay connected with us for upcoming events.

On Saturday, July 25, 2015, graduate students enjoyed an amazing trip to Six Flags Great America. Our traditional summer trip is an opportunity for students to connect with peers from different disciplines in a relaxed and social environment. It is also a chance to enjoy the sunshine and participate in local traditions with people from different cultures. the event was a total success, thanks to you all for your support. If you are still around we will see you next year.